


Songs for a Dancer

by pusa_is_me (kimpotato)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Canon Universe, F/M, Friendship/Love, Light Angst, other characters to be added - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:40:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 8,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26836081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimpotato/pseuds/pusa_is_me
Summary: Shikamaru finds himself falling in love with the least troublesome woman of them all.
Relationships: Hyuuga Neji/Tenten, Nara Shikamaru/Tenten
Comments: 10
Kudos: 56





	1. Goodnight and Go

**Author's Note:**

> An old series about an old ship from an old site. 
> 
> Written circa 2012-13, revised 2020.
> 
> Click [here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0YGeUOx5BXOWiyfzl4NbQX?si=it2sKh5VQ6OlYRpGjzzBZQ) for the playlist!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikamaru didn’t realize that he was staring at her, a lazy smile plastered on his face, until Ino suddenly squealed somewhere to his left.

Shikamaru was having a _bad_ day.  
  
First, Ino had literally dragged him out of his house that morning—the one day he was given a day off to actually do some decent cloud watching—and forced him to accompany her to seven different boutiques in search of the perfect dress for her date. To make matters worse, Chouji was away on a mission with his father, so Shikamaru was stuck lugging heavy shopping bags for the Yamanaka heiress alone.  
  
“Don’t you have any girl friends?” he had grumbled when Ino first appeared in his room.  
  
“Of course I do,” Ino had snapped, yanking his arm. “But I want a guy’s opinion, and sadly, I’m severely lacking in that department.”  
  
Shikamaru had tched, before pointing out that the reason Ino did not have platonic relationships with a lot of guys was because she had already dated most of the men she knew.  
  
Ino had ribbed him with a pretty elbow, before yanking his hair and dragging him out of his bed.  
  
Now he was forced to sit and wait in a busy cafe, as his childhood friend checked some jewelry in a shop two blocks down. She would have dragged him in there, too, but Shikamaru had adamantly refused.  
  
“Damn troublesome woman,” Shikamaru muttered under his breath. Shoulders hunched and chin propped against his right palm, his eyes watched clouds drifting past the cafe’s wide window.  
  
And then he saw _her_.  
  
It wasn’t really she that attracted his attention but what she was currently doing. Shikamaru was, after all, acquainted enough with Tenten to know her signature twin buns, pink top, and overall cheerful demeanor that brightened a room. It was just that, at that very moment, the budding weapons mistress was currently dragging a semiconscious Lee by the scruff of his green spandex, like it was the most normal thing in the world to do.  
  
Shikamaru had to chuckle despite himself. There weren’t many people who had the capacity to stick around the younger green beast for too long, what with his overzealousness, especially with matters of youth and more youth. Shikamaru guessed he admired Tenten, in a way. Not only was she patient enough to stay with the hyperactive Rock Lee, she also has the ability to keep him in check. Add to that the fact that she was probably the only kunoichi that Hyuuga Neji truly got along with.  
  
Shikamaru didn’t realize that he was staring at her, a lazy smile plastered on his face, until Ino suddenly squealed somewhere to his left.  
  
“You like her!”  
  
Shikamaru inwardly grumbled. And to think that his day was starting to become not-so-bad-after-all instead of very bad.  
  
Caught between wanting to smack himself for being caught staring and finding it too strenuous an action to do so, Shikamaru settled for a tch, threw Tenten (and Lee, by extension) one last glance, and faced his giggling friend.  
  
“Troublesome woman.”


	2. Song for a Dancer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because Tenten was so beautiful dancing alone, and she seemed so content, so happy in her solitude, that Shikamaru did not think it proper for him to intrude.

Shikamaru was speechless.

After all, he was currently watching a fiery kunoichi spin at incredible speed, while summoning and throwing a barrage of weapons _everywhere._

It wasn’t intentional—or so he told himself—spying on Tenten while she experimented on improving Soshoryu, her signature move. He was merely out for a walk (near Team Gai’s training grounds, of all places), looking for a decent place to take a nap (because Ino was hunting him down to set him up with a pretty girl in signature twin buns), when he accidentally came across the training kunoichi (although the loud explosions from half a mile away should have been a dead giveaway).

Shikamaru silently watched as Tenten dropped back to the ground, summon all her weapons back to her scroll, and prepare for another round. She had failed back then, literally got whipped by Temari’s gigantic fan. And the Soshoryu Shikamaru was seeing right now was nowhere near the size and power of what Tenten had used during the exams.

And he found her _beautiful_.

_Ino would have a field day if she heard me say that out loud,_ he muttered to himself.

For a fraction of a second, an irrational desire came over him to reveal himself, to join Tenten in her training, to watch her up close as she spun and spun and spun. The rational side of his brain quickly took over, however, and he stopped himself from stepping into the clearing.

Because Tenten was so beautiful _dancing_ alone, and she seemed so content, so happy in her solitude, that Shikamaru did not think it proper for him to intrude.

So he stood behind a tree and admired her from afar, wondering if it was okay to forgo his usual afternoon nap for the chance to watch her train.

_Beautiful,_ Shikamaru thought, just as a kunai suddenly zipped past his ear, almost nipping his earlobe.

The shadow jutsu user quickly scampered away from Team Gai’s training ground, not bothering to find out if it was an accident—Tenten was throwing weapons everywhere, after all—or if the kunoichi somehow sensed that someone was spying on her.

_And deadly,_ Shikamaru thought miserably, as he hopped from tree to tree, farther and farther away from the clearing. _Definitely deadly._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure what possessed me to write this chapter, years ago. Shikamaru doesn't even sound like Shikamaru here T_T 
> 
> The next chapter's pretty cute though *pats myself on the back*
> 
> I've also cut down about half of this chapter's original word count. Wow, was I chatty then.


	3. Not Sure Yet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He wasn’t even sure if she remembered his name, or if she merely knew his face from association.

Shikamaru was nervous.

Which he shouldn’t be, not really, because he had been assigned to other missions before, where he had to work with shinobi not part of his usual team. Besides, Chouji was going with him, so someone would have his back if he needed it.

Except that, he thought with growing dread, the two other people in their four-man cell consisted of the Hyuuga prodigy himself—Hyuuga Neji—and _her._

He supposed he shouldn’t be so worried. Tenten was, after all, friendly enough, from what he has heard from Ino and the brief encounters he had with Team Gai.

It was just that he hasn’t really spoken to her directly, as far as he could remember. He wasn’t even sure if she remembered his name, or if she merely knew his face from association. And with Neji with them anyway, there was no point in striking a conversation with a boring, lazy Nara. It was obvious that Tenten and Neji shared a bond fortified by years of friendship and camaraderie.

Shikamaru wasn’t sure what he was getting so worked up for. He had never had long internal monologues over a girl before, and he was annoyed because he usually found such musings troublesome.

And suddenly, as fate would have it, he spotted her rounding the corner—signature twin buns and a huge scroll strapped against her back—half-running, probably heading toward the same direction that he was. For a split second, he felt the urge to duck. He quickly trashed the idea, because it was ridiculous, and they were obviously going the same way anyway.

And then she suddenly stopped and turned to him.

“Hey!” she beamed, grinning for ear to ear. “You’re headed for the gate, right? Good.” She fell in beside him, matching his lazy stride, hands behind her back. “I thought I was late.”

Shikamaru regarded her curiously. Just seconds ago, she appeared like she was about to fly toward their meeting place, and the next moment she was matching his pace, like it was the most natural thing in the world to do.

“It’s still early,” he answered.

Tenten chuckled. “Well, yes, I know,” she replied, eyes not really on him, but on the road before them. “I guess I’m so used to reporting early for missions. With _those two_ in my team, I don’t have much of a choice.”

Shikamaru was certain she was talking about the two infamous Green Beasts of their village.

“It’s nice to be teamed up with normal people for a change, you know,” she continued. “Not that I don’t love my team, because I do. It’s just tiring sometimes, trying to keep up with them and their overly _youthful_ selves.” And she suddenly laughed out loud. “Oh crap, don’t tell Neji I said that! He’ll brand me a traitor for saying the forbidden word!”

Shikamaru, for his part, was more than willing to do whatever Tenten asked of him. He still wasn’t quite over the fact that Tenten was chatting him up like they were longtime friends. It made him want to grin back, except that he wasn’t sure if it was the right response. Women could be so troublesome, if his experiences with Ino and Temari and his mother were any indication. One small mistake and Tenten might smack him or refuse to speak to him ever again.

“Okay,” was all he could answer, and very cautiously at that.

Tenten laughed all the more loudly. “Don’t be so stiff, Shikamaru,” she grinned even wider than he thought possible. Shikamaru found himself pleased that Tenten remembered his name.

“Come on,” and suddenly, her left hand was around his wrist. Shikamaru found himself stumbling in surprise. “I’ll never hear the end of it if Neji gets to the gate before me.”

And then they were suddenly running, Tenten holding his arm with the firmness of a seasoned kunoichi and the gentleness of a close friend.

Shikamaru couldn’t help but smile, just a little smirk on the corner of his mouth, really. Despite all his uncertainties, the confusion building up inside him because of these emotions he couldn’t quite explain, he was now sure of one thing.

It would all be fine. He would be fine.


	4. Believe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tenten was one of the best kunoichi in Konoha, and her team was one of the best in the Country of Fire. It would be disrespectful to her and her teammates if he didn’t believe in their capabilities.

Shikamaru was trying his best not to worry.

He, like the other shinobi from his batch, heard that Team Kakashi was dispatched to rescue Gaara from the hands of the Akatsuki, and that Team Gai was intercepted on their way back from a mission to provide backup. There was no reason to be anxious, he told himself ever since he heard the news; squads were sometimes assigned to a new mission before they could make a report on their previous one. And it was a known fact in the village—and outside, too—that Maito Gai’s old genin team was one of the most hardworking, efficient teams that Konoha has.

There was no reason to worry, but Shikamaru worried still.

Because the opponent was Akatsuki, and although he hadn’t yet encountered one personally, Shikamaru knew how vicious the group was. And as confident as he was of Team Gai’s and Team Kakashi’s abilities, there was this little voice in his head that nagged at him to check the Hokage Tower for news about the mission _._

“Tch,” he muttered, as he sprawled on the cool grass by the riverbank, doing his usual cloud gazing routine. Normally, watching clouds helped him calm down—fall asleep, even—but it only made him more restless this time. It didn’t help that he kept seeing panda-shaped clouds drifting past every minute or so.

“What a drag.”

Closing his eyes, Shikamaru tried to push all other stray thoughts aside, concentrating instead on the most important matter at hand—clouds.

Suddenly, “Hey there, pineapple head.”

Great. Now he was starting to hallucinate from worry. Because only one person had the weird habit of calling him _pineapple head,_ and he was certain that this person was still in Suna. Or maybe in some forest, fighting who knows how many Akatsuki members with her team.

“What, not even a _tch_ or a _troublesome_ to welcome me home?”

Shikamaru slowly opened his eyes when he felt a shadow over him. He blinked, blinked again, and blinked a third time.

The panda-shaped cloud didn’t change much. Except that it now had a pair of wide eyes and an even wider grin.

“Ten—?”

"Oh look, you do remember my name.”

Shikamaru bolted right up, lost his balance, and landed on his butt. Team Gai’s kunoichi chuckled. “Really?”

“You’re back?”

Tenten’s grin slipped a few notches. “What? Didn’t think I’d make it back alive?”

“No . . .I mean . . . uh . . . gaah!”

Shikamaru closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, Tenten still stood in front of him—right hand on hip, eyebrow raised, the corner of her left lip tugging upward in an effort not to smile.

Shikamaru realized that there was no reason to be worried—because Tenten was one of the best kunoichi in Konoha, and her team was one of the best in the Country of Fire. It would be disrespectful to her and her teammates if he didn’t believe in their capabilities.

“When did you get back?” he asked, smiling a lopsided little grin in return.

Tenten chuckled. “An hour ago. We just got dismissed by the Hokage after we gave our report.”

Shikamaru nodded, his eyes still fixed on the kunoichi. While Tenten looked tired and dishelved, Shikamaru didn’t see any signs of a grave injury. He breathed a silent sigh of relief. Mentally smacking himself for worrying, he smiled a little wider and asked, “So how did it go?”

Tenten’s smiled mellowed down a bit. Shikamaru found himself listening as the kunoichi somberly told him the details of her mission—from their encounter with Kisame, to dealing with their clones, to almost being blown to bits by Deidera, and finally, Chiyo baa-sama. Shikamaru nodded at appropriate times, panicked once—when Tenten mentioned casually how she almost drowned, had Neji not saved them—and felt sad over the death of a seasoned kunoichi he had not the privilege of meeting.

“Well, I’m beat. I’m going home,” and then Tenten was walking away, waving a hand at him. “See you around, pineapple head.”

And before he knew what he was doing, Shikamaru was already walking beside her, trying not to mind the surprised look on her face.

“What?” he muttered, looking straight ahead, avoiding Tenten’s gaze.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“I want to hear more about your mission,” he answered as nonchalantly as he could.

“Hah?” the kunoichi replied. When Shikamaru made mo further response, Tenten shrugged. “Suit yourself. Just don’t go blaming me if I fall flat on my face mid-conversation. I seriously need some decent shut-eye after spending two weeks with those crazies.”

Shikamaru grinned, knowing that she was talking about Gai and Lee, and to a lesser extent, Neji, too. “Okay,” he said, not so guarded anymore, unlike the first time they spoke.

They walked in silence for a couple more minutes, before Tenten suddenly chuckled. Shikamaru shot her a confused look. In response, Tenten visibly swallowed the laughter back to her throat.

A few precious seconds of complete silence.

Then, “Seriously? _Gaah_?”

Shikamaru bit back a groan as Tenten guffawed loudly beside him.


	5. For You to Notice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They looked so goddamned perfect together, Shikamaru couldn’t help but wonder why the hell they weren’t together.

Shikamaru was frustrated.

Tenten was seated directly in front of him outside the Hokage’s office, yet she hasn't said a word aside from a customary “hello.”

Not that he blamed her though.

She was, after all, with Neji, and the whole village knew how close the two were, how much they complemented each other, in and out the battlefield. And if rumors were to be believed—not that Shikamaru paid attention to rumors if not for Ino—Tenten and Neji had a special thing going on, something that had been brewing since after the Chunnin exams, but which neither one had acted on yet.

Shikamaru watched sullenly as they carried on with their conversation, body language showing that they cared for each other more than one should care for a teammate. It annoyed him, seeing Tenten grin her special grin reserved only for Neji, how she listened in rapt attention to his every word, how much she held him in high regard. It didn’t go unnoticed that Neji was acting the same way, only more subtly—nodding every now and then to indicate he was paying attention to whatever Tenten was saying, the right corner of his lips tugging upward just a fraction of a centimeter.

They looked so goddamned perfect together, Shikamaru couldn’t help but wonder why the hell they weren’t _together_.

_Feh. Nothing’s set in stone. I still have a chance._

He blinked, because he had no idea where this thought came from. Did he actually just think he stood a fighting chance against _the_ Hyuuga Neji for Tenten’s attention? What was there to fight for to begin with? It wasn’t as if he _loves_ Tenten. At most, maybe he was just the tiniest bit attracted to her because Tenten was such a breath of fresh air from his routine of a life. To admit that he was in love with her was foolish and impractical; he would be confused with feelings that he didn’t know how to handle. Plus it was just too troublesome to pine over a girl whom he knew liked someone else.

_Still, nothing’s set in stone._

Inwardly muttering about feelings being a drag, Shikamaru shot Tenten another sullen look. Said girl was in the process of demonstrating to Neji a series of hand gestures she probably learned from Lee. The Hyuuga looked amused, but it wasn’t of the depreciating kind.

The door to the Hokage’s office opened, and out came Shizune, calling for Shikamaru. The Nara stood up lazily and slowly walked to the door.

When he shot Tenten one last glance, he was surprised to see her returning his gaze, her left eyebrow raised in amusement. Beside her, Shikamaru vaguely registered Neji eyeing him as well, except that the look he received from the Hyuuga was not as friendly as the one he got from his sparring partner.

“Good luck,” she mouthed, making Shikamaru snort involuntarily.

Feeling his mood lift up a bit, Shikamaru walked straight into Tsunade’s office, not caring that the Godaime was frowning. He knew he was probably going to get an earful, but right at that moment, he simply didn’t care.

_Nothing’s set in stone. I still have a chance._


	6. Keep Breathing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He heard her silent reminder: Don’t do anything reckless. Or, if he wanted to delude himself just a little bit: Come back to me, alive.

Shikamaru was smoking Asuma’s cigarette when Tenten found him, hours after his sensei was laid to eternal rest.

Had it been Ino or Chouji, Shikamaru would have understood. Because they were teammates—friends, a family—and it was human nature to seek out the people closest to you in times of grief. Naruto he’d understand, too, because outside of Team Ten, Naruto was (maybe) his closest friend.

Shikamaru was, therefore, a little surprised when it was Tenten that sat down beside him, as he watched clouds drift by, for once failing to give him the calming effect they usually do.

She sat quietly, not saying anything. And as much as Shikamaru appreciated Tenten’s presence in general, he was by no means in the mood to acknowledge her unwelcomed intrusion this time.

Then, “Breathe, pineapple head.”

Shikamaru closed his eyes. It wasn’t what he had expected her to say, but he was nevertheless grateful that she didn’t try to console him over his loss, or scold him for not attending the funeral. Because he didn’t need her reprimand, and he most certainly did not need her pity.

Something told him that because Tenten had lost people dear to her a long time ago, orphan that she was, she, at least, had a genuine inclination to be empathic of his feelings.

After a few more minutes, she quietly asked, “Tomorrow?”

Shikamaru sighed. How could she have read his mind so easily? He hadn’t even discussed anything with Ino or Chouji, merely assumed that they both knew what had to be done. That they were willing to let him take the lead, to avenge the death of their sensei.

Blowing another puff of smoke from his nostrils, he answered, as nonchalantly as he could, “Yes.” And then, “You’re not going to try to talk me out of it?”

The smoke from the cigarette burned in his throat, and he wanted nothing more than throw the damn stick away. Except doing so would be a sign of weakening resolve, and the last thing he needed was to be weak, not if he plans to avenge Asuma’s death.

Another long minute of silence. Then, “No.”

Shikamaru appreciated Tenten’s honesty over anything else.

“We’d do it, too, had it been Gai.”

And Shikamaru realized that they—the three members of Team Gai—would indeed go after whoever manages to kill the Mighty Maito Gai. A vague premonition took hold of him, and for a fraction of a second, he forgot about his desire to kill Hidan and Kakuzu. Instead, he hoped that Maito Gai never gets killed in battle, because a broken Team Gai was something Konoha would never recover from.

“Neji will lead us,” Tenten continued, “because he will think it is our duty to avenge our sensei, and because he holds him in higher regard that he lets on.” She paused, and Shikamaru watched as she absentmindedly twirled a blade of grass between her fingers. “And Lee, Lee will not understand the concept of revenge until the need for it arises, but he will follow Neji’s lead, because he loves Gai like a father, and he’ll think that it will be the most youthful thing to do, to honor Gai like that.” A longer pause, as Tenten snapped the blade of grass into two. “And I . . . I will support my boys until the very end, because they’ll need me if they want to come out of it in one piece.”

Somehow, Shikamaru knew that Tenten was not merely talking about their actual physical fight. He knew, like the rest of Konoha and everyone familiar with the dynamics of Team Gai, that it was Tenten who kept the group together, who acted as a super glue, holding the pieces intact, no matter how fragile and rough the edges were.

“But I’m not going to get myself killed.”

He heard her silent reminder: _Don’t do anything reckless._ Or, if he wanted to delude himself just a little bit: _Come back to me, alive._

But they were nothing but friends, and he was currently too fucked up to pay attention to romance. Whatever feelings he had brewing for the kunoichi needed to be suppressed, because they were in the fringes of an impending war, and things like love and relationships would only get them killed.

Still, he couldn’t help but feel a small flicker of hope worm its way into his heart.

_Maybe someday, when all of this is over._

“I don’t have any plans of dying in the near future.”

Finally, Shikamaru saw Tenten smile.

“Good,” she replied. And, with a chuckle, “I guess you’ll find it too troublesome anyway.”

The grin Shikamaru was trying to hold back finally escaped his lips.

“Well, I’m off,” Tenten said.

And just when Shikamaru thought Tenten was getting up to leave, she suddenly grabbed the back of his head and pressed her forehead against his. He knew there was nothing romantic with the gesture, at least, not for her, but he still couldn’t help but close his eyes and breathe her in.

“Keep breathing, pineapple head,” Tenten repeated. “Just keep breathing.”

And then she was gone, and it was only then that Shikamaru realized that his cigarette had been forgotten, discarded carelessly on the ground.


	7. Pieces of Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Salvation came on the sixth day, in the form of twin buns and an infectious smile.

Shikamaru was _bored._

Which was saying a lot, because he wasn’t known for being hardworking to begin with.

But he’s been stuck in the Nara compound for days, courtesy of a broken leg, the result of Pein’s recent invasion on their village.

The first two days weren’t so bad: He finally had time to catch up on cloud watching, something he hasn’t been able to do because of missions. Chouji and Ino had visited him on the third day and spent the afternoon with him, before saying that they’d be leaving for a B-rank mission on the morrow. By the fifth day Shikamaru was more than eager to get out of the house and do some _real_ work (something that didn’t involve reading scrolls that the Hokage kept sending him), but the medic in charge of his recuperation (a.k.a. his troublesome mother) had threatened to break his _other_ leg if he as much as stepped out of their house.

Salvation came on the sixth day, in the form of twin buns and an infectious smile.

“How are you holding up, pineapple head?” Tenten asked, popping up behind him without a hello. Shikamaru was sitting in their front porch, a shogi board to his left, the pieces in disarray. To his right sat a pile of unread scrolls, sent by Lady Tsunade about an hour past.

If there was one thing that has never ceased to amaze Shikamaru, it was Tenten’s inability to start _any_ conversation with a formal greeting.

“What do you think?” he muttered, slightly peeved that he didn’t sense her presence. Damn her ability to be stealthy, even when she had spent years with the two noisiest shinobi in Konoha.

Tenten grinned and threw something at him. It bounced on his lap and made a sad _thunk_ on the floorboard.

Shikamaru blinked and picked up the strange object. “What’s this?”

Tenten’s grin became wider. “It’s a Rubic’s cube.”

Shikamaru frowned. “Who’s Rubic?”

Tenten shrugged. “Not the faintest idea.” With a half-skip, she promptly sat beside Shikamaru, pushing the shogi board away. “I got it from a band of traveling gypsies on the way back from my mission. Thought it might help get your mind off things,” she explained, nodding at the pile of scrolls. “Not that you’re doing a very good job keeping your mind on them, it seems.”

Plucking the cube away from Shikamaru’s hands, Tenten expertly twirled in on top of her left index finger. Shikamaru watched in mild boredom as the kunoichi twisted the cube in severalrandom directions. She then tossed the cube back to him, its colors all mixed up.

“Now you fix it,” she demanded. “Each side should only have one color.”

Shikamaru _tched._ “You did this _,”_ he muttered, holding the cube between his right thumb and index finger, like it was contaminated. “ _You_ fix it.” He was bored, but he wasn’t _that_ bored.

Tenten’s grin only increased tenfold. “Too troublesome for a genius?” She pretended to grab the cube from Shikamaru’s hand. “Okay, I’m sure I can force Neji to—”

Shikamaru was halfway done with the cube before Tenten could even finish her sentence.


	8. Popular Mechanics for Lovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes Shikamaru wished Ino didn’t hang out in the grapevine so much.

Shikamaru was sulking.

Their village, no, the entire nation, maybe the whole world, was on the verge of war, but this was not the reason for his uncharacteristic behavior—uncharacteristic in the sense that his irritation did not stem from being dragged around by a meddlesome girl best friend or by being smacked on the head by a violent mother.

No. It was because he had heard rumors, courtesy of said meddlesome girl best friend—sometimes Shikamaru wished Ino didn’t hang out in the grapevine so much—that Tenten and Neji were _dating._

And they weren’t the usual rumors that circulated the village. The latest gossip from the giddy Yamanaka included details—said pair was spotted eating dinner in one of the more expensive establishments last night, and they were both dressed nicely, and they appeared to act more intimately than how two teammates should. To make things worse, reports claimed that Neji and Tenten were spotted on their way to Tenten’s apartment after dinner, which wasn’t really anything out of the ordinary, except that they were walking closer than usual, and, _gasp!_ , Neji’s right arm was wrapped loosely around Tenten’s waist, while the kunoichi had her head titled to the side, the top of her head brushing the prodigy’s cheek.

Shikamaru tried to convince himself that he had no say whatsoever as to who Tenten chooses to date; they were, after all, _just friends_ , and it was obvious to everyone that the two saner members of Team Gai were _perfect_ for each other.

That, and about two hundred other reasons besides, did nothing to brighten Shikamaru’s day.

“Troublesome woman,” he muttered under his breath, referring to Ino, of course, as he lay sprawled on the riverbank, glaring at the clouds for being so carefree and emotionless. When did his life become so complicated? And when did he start paying attention to rumors anyway?

“Bah,” Shikamaru sulked. “So what if he’s a prodigy? I’m a genius too, with a super IQ of 200. I can develop twenty strategies in ten seconds. I don’t need stupid pupiless eyes to see what the enemies are going to do next.”

The Nara genius rolled flat on his stomach and banged his forehead against the ground. “What is wrong with you?” he scolded himself. “Neji’s a good person.” He paused, then sighed in defeat.“And he loves Tenten.”

Shikamaru clenched his fists around a handful of grass and banged his forehead again. “He’s not the only one who has the right to love her!” he protested against the cool soil, because it would not do for someone else to hear what he was saying.

“This is such a drag,” he muttered, after a few seconds of quiet, resigning to defeat, even when he hadn’t even put up a fight yet.

Or maybe that was the problem?

“What is?”

Bolting up, Shikamaru turned and found Tenten standing a few feet away from him. But what really made his blood run cold was the person beside her—Hyuuga Neji, in all his prodigious glory. Neji didn’t look murderous, at least not yet, but Shikamaru was not sure if it was because he was still deciding the best way to kill him, or if the pair had really not heard his stupid rant just a few seconds ago.

Tenten chuckled at Shikamaru’s horrified expression. “Oh come on, pineapple head,” she chirped. “It’s not a secret that you hang out here every chance you get. You don’t have to look so guilty about getting caught.”

“ . . .”

“Anyway, we’re just passing through. Off to the Hokage tower. Mission,” Tenten said amicably, no hint that she had heard anything. “Ino was looking for you, by the way. We saw her near my apartment. Come to think of it, it almost looked like she was spying on us.” Tenten laughed. “Oh well, she said she’ll be at their flower shop, in case we run into you.”

“Uh, okay,” Shikamaru answered dumbly, and then mentally smacked himself. So much for having a super IQ of 200.

“Tenten, we have to go,” came Neji’s baritone, earning another laugh from the kunoichi.

Shikamaru watched quietly as the pair walked away, fingers lightly brushing and pace in sync, and suddenly, he _knew_ for sure.

It was not just a rumor this time. He was right.

Neji loves Tenten.

The lazy shinobi sighed, _tched_ , and then rubbed the back of his head. “Troublesome,” he whispered before he could stop himself.

Still, if Tenten thought that Neji was the right guy for her, then Shikamaru guessed he should be fine with it as well.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t sulk about it.


	9. When the Stars Go Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If he was going to be honest with himself, Shikamaru was feeling pretty useless right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on Naruto Shippuuden Episode 231, "The Closed Route."

Shikamaru was conflicted.

Here he was, standing on the shore of a small village, on a mission to collect weapons and armory that Konoha and the allied nations would need if they wanted to have a fighting chance against the Akatsuki. His father had suggested he take the assignment, because Naruto was there, and Naruto always had a way of calming his nerves—not that he would admit it out loud—and help him decide things he normally could not decide on.

Because Shikamaru was conflicted—about the oncoming war, and his place in it.

He knew he was no powerhouse like Naruto or Lee, and his jutsu was nothing to boast about, unlike Neji’s or Shino’s. He was heralded for his smarts, for his ability to think of two hundred different solutions to a problem, but somehow, he didn’t think it would be enough of a contribution to help them win the war.

If he was going to be honest with himself, Shikamaru was feeling pretty useless right now.

But his father believed in him, trusted him to figure things out, and Shikamaru knew that had Asuma been alive, he would have complete faith in him as well. But what if he did not have the ability to fulfill his role in the war? What if being a genius was not enough to save the lives of everyone he cared for?

Where would that leave him?

Staring out into the ocean, the moon shining brightly in the night sky, stars twinkling without a care in the universe, Shikamaru remained conflicted, unsure of himself.

“It’s peaceful out here, huh?”

Shikamaru turned the slightest bit, only to find Tenten, who had come to the mission with them. She stood a few feet away from him, staring out into the murky waters, the way he had been doing seconds ago.

Shikamaru regarded her with observant eyes, noting how indeed she looked at peace, never mind that in a few more days, a war would rage and neither of them knew what the outcome would be.

So how could she appear so content, so accepting of what was going on?

And how could she look so _beautiful_?

They stood quietly on the shore for a couple more minutes, neither of them talking, because Shikamaru wasn’t sure what to say, and Tenten seemed more than happy to be just standing there, looking at the moon.

“What are you so sad about, pineapple head?”

Shikamaru blinked. _Sad?_ He knew he was conflicted, confused, afraid, even, but lonely? The feeling hadn’t even crossed his mind.

And yet . . .

Tenten tilted her head and offered him a small smile. “You’re invaluable, not just because you’re useful, but because you’re _you_ ,” she explained, as if Shikamaru had posed a question. “Stop feeling bad about yourself.”

Shikamaru closed his eyes briefly and heaved a small sigh, as if something pinched his chest.

“It’s scary, this war, but I know we’ll be all right.”

When he opened his eyes, Tenten was no longer looking at him, but at the moon again, as if she were remembering a fond memory. _Maybe concerning the Hyuuga,_ the thought came unbidden, as he realized that the moon did look like the Neji’s eyes.

Shikamaru sighed again and muttered a silent _what a drag,_ but somehow, Tenten’s words helped calm him down. Later Naruto would seal the deal, and Shikamaru would regain his confidence, but it was the weapons mistress who started the spark of hope in his heart.

Because she was right. The war was indeed scary, scarier than anything they’ve even experienced before, but in the end, Konoha will be all right.

They will all be all right.


	10. Holiday

Shikamaru was strategizing.

But it was really more of figuring out a way to get Tenten to wake up, without causing her to snap, and possibly throw sharp, pointy objects at his direction.

Not that her current chakra-depleted state was promising, but Shikamaru had always liked to play it safe, in and out of the battlefield.

Sighing, he rubbed the back of his neck as he warily studied the sleeping kunoichi’s face. It had been half an hour since the Sand shinobi carried her to the outfield of their joint divisions’ area of responsibility, after she had used up too much chakra from using that weird weapon she probably got from one of their stronger enemies. Tsking, Shikamaru glowered unhappily at his charge, wanting to scold her for being so careless.

But they were in the middle of a war, so was it really his place to worry about her safety? Weren’t their other friends risking their lives to fight for what they believed in, too?

“Bah,” Shikamaru muttered under his breath, before deciding to finally wake up the sleeping kunoichi. They were both needed back in the battlefield as soon as possible, and he knew he was already breaking protocol by leaving just so he could watch over Tenten, when he was supposed to be the acting commander of his division.

Poking Tenten’s forehead, he whispered her name cautiously.

“Tenten.”

The aforementioned weapons mistress stirred, and hummed a soft _hmm_ in return.

He repeated the gesture, increasing the volume of his voice.

“Tenten.”

The kunoichi responded by wrinkling her nose, eyes still closed, as if being woken up from a nice dream.

Shikamaru sighed. “Such a troublesome woman.”

“Huh?” Brown eyes snapped open, and Shikamaru found himself staring at her—relief, worry, and mild consternation swishing and sloshing in his gut. “Pineapple head?”

The Nara heir couldn’t stop the _tch_ that escaped his mouth. Raising his left hand to clean imaginary earwax with his pinky finger, he muttered, “Like I said, you’re such a troublesome woman.”

“I am most certainly not!” Tenten exclaimed, trying to get up, only to realize that she could barely move a muscle.

Gentle hands kept her in place, and when she stopped resisting, Shikamaru pulled his hands away, missing her warmth almost immediately.

Shinobi and kunoichi looked at the clouds, just like they used to, when times were still relatively peaceful, and they were not required to lay their lives on the line for a war that would decide the future of the world.

“What happened?” Tenten whispered, after a few seconds of quiet.

“You used up too much chakra, you troublesome girl,” the lazy chunnin answered. “You could have died.”

Tenten smiled in response. “Ah. It's that weird-looking fan, isn’t it?”

Another _tch._ “And you don’t even sound apologetic about it. Whatever am I going to do with you?”

This time, the weapons mistress _grinned._ “Continue to worry about me, I guess.”

“Tch.”

Tenten chuckled. And then, “Are we winning?” she finally asked, softly.

Shikamaru shrugged beside her. “Who knows?” He most certainly didn’t, and he doubted anyone did.

Silence once again.

“Pineapple head?”

“Hm?”

“Are you . . . okay?”

Shikamaru heard her silent question. _Did fighting with your former sensei hurt like hell?_

The proxy commander remained silent, not really sure how to respond to the query. Did it hurt? Maybe it did. He and Asuma had never been at opposing sides before, not in a battlefield, at least, but it was not as if he did not expect to see his former sensei again. He knew what Edo Tensei could do, so of course he knew there was a possibility that the enemy would use their former comrades to shake their resolves.

“No, don’t answer that,” came Tenten’s soft response to Shikamaru’s silent answer. Lifting her left arm, she reached for the shinobi, and tapped his nose with her index finger. “Say, pineapple head,” she continued. “Do you want to go on a vacation when all of this is over?”

If he was surprised by the weird question, he most certainly did not show it. Instead, he returned the gesture by tapping _Tenten’s_ nose. “A vacation sounds like the best thing in the world right now.”

He knew he sounded so tired, but somehow, he was smiling. He realized that despite the raging war around them, he felt at peace, sitting there beside Tenten, quietly wondering what their lives would be afterward.

The fact that both of them were considering a life after the war meant that they both believed they would survive in the end.

And that was enough to make him continue hoping.


	11. Asleep

Shikamaru was heartbroken.

The Fourth Shinobi War has ended recently, all thanks to the combined efforts of Naruto, the Allied Forces, and the past, deceased but resurrected-but-not-quite hokages of four generations. The Akatsuki and Madara have been defeated, their plan for world domination foiled, and a shaky sense of peace enveloped the five countries of the allied nations, victorious but weary to the bone.

There had been too many casualties, so much destruction, and too little gain from the victory they achieved. Shinobi and civilian alike found themselves burying their dead—friends and loved ones who sacrificed their lives for the village they loved, casualties of a war that stemmed from a clash of beliefs between two opposing forces.

Shikamaru was no exception.

Not only did he lose a father, but he lost countless comrades as well, mentors, family friends, former classmates, and colleagues in and out his assigned division. It was like watching Asuma die over and over again, multiply it by a hundred, nay, a thousand, until he was sure he had subconsciously forced his heart to stay numb, to _not_ feel anymore, because the village needed him, so that it could get back on its feet again, so that it could rebuilt the foundations that the war has destroyed.

So he carried on, the same way he did when Asuma had died and he led the rest of his broken little cell to avenge their sensei’s death, the same way he quietly told Ino to save her mourning for when the war was over when he and she lost their fathers, the same way he quietly stood while Tsunade honored everyone who had perished, the day after the war was declared officially won.

It was a week into their period of mourning—and maybe recovery—when he found Tenten in the cemetery, standing in front of a grave, freshly dug only seven days past, almost half an area away from where the Nara clan’s memorial lot was located.

Shikamaru didn’t even have to guess whose tomb she was keeping vigil at, and suddenly, he felt the cracks in his already broken heart widen some more.

_Hyuuga Neji._

And it wasn’t because he was jealous—what was he, a child? Shikamaru wasn’t going to act the way he did before—how long had it been? Weeks? Months? What did it matter?—when he found out that Neji and Tenten were together and were in love, like everyone else in the village suspected they were.

No. Shikamaru was aching because he knew that Tenten was brokenhearted, and he would give anything, _absolutely anything,_ if it meant that Neji would come back to life and be with Tenten once more.

Because the Nara heir realized that, contrary to his initial fear—no, precognition—months past, it wasn’t only Maito Gai’s death that would break the taijutsu-centered little cell. Shikamaru was correct in thinking that a broken Team Gai was something Konoha would not be able recover from, but he was wrong for predicting that the older Green Beast would be the first one to go.

Quietly walking to where the kunoichi was, he stood beside her and studied the engraved tombstone in front of them. Shikamaru was brought back to a time when it was Tenten who found him right after Asuma’s funeral.

A few minutes of heavy silence, and then, he breathed out, “It’s all right to cry.”

Because Tenten was not crying, but just standing there, staring at Neji’s grave, eyes fixed on the deceased Hyuuga’s name engraved in stone.

Another minute, and Shikamaru tried once more. “Tenten.” 

Usually, he’d find meddling with other people’s affairs troublesome, but this was Tenten, and Tenten was his friend, and perhaps, had things been different, something more. And Tenten was now grieving, mourning for a love lost, but she was keeping it all in, the same way Shikamaru had done with Asuma and his father, but he had reasons, valid reasons, then, and perhaps, Tenten did too.

“Tenten.” 

“I won’t.” 

Shikamaru turned to his companion, relieved that she finally acknowledged his presence, worried about how she was trying to act jaded when he was positive she was breaking inside.

“There’s nothing wrong with crying,” he tried once again, unsure why he was being so insistent, and not just mutter a quiet _what a drag_ and walk away to watch some clouds.

A small snort. “Of course there isn’t,” Tenten answered softly. “But I still won’t.”

A pause.

“Neji, he told me he would try his best not to make me cry,” Tenten continued. Shikamaru saw a strained smile escape her lips as she lifted her right hand to her chest and clenched her shirt, the area nearest to her heart. “So I won’t.”

It was stupid, refusing to cry because of an unwillingness to let someone’s promise go in vain, but it was certainly brave. Shikamaru did not approve of Tenten’s decision to hold back her tears, but he understood her resolve. And he respected, admired, her more for it.

“He always keeps his promises,” the kunoichi finished, clenching her chest tighter, as if fearing it would fall out. “And just like before, I’m going to help him do it. Besides, that’s what I do best, right? Support him in and out of battle?”

Shikamaru did not miss how Tenten refused to refer to Neji in the past tense.

Tenten finally turned to him, and for the first time Shikamaru saw how the usual light in her eyes was gone, replaced by an emptiness that only a living Neji could fill.

Dread replaced sorrow in Shikamaru’s heart at a sudden realization: Neji was gone, and if no one did anything about it, Tenten would soon follow through. And Shikamaru understood that there was nothing, _absolutely nothing_ , that he could do about it.

And that broke his heart all the more.


	12. Shelter

Shikamaru was about to do the most troublesome thing he has ever done in his entire life.

At least, that was what his younger self would say, before _tch_ ing and muttering something about how he'd rather watch clouds than be _here_. But he was years older now, physically and emotionally, just a tad bit too old for immaturity to be decent excuse anymore.

So here he was, standing at the edge of Team Gai's old training grounds, and _finally,_ he was ready.

"Tenten."

The kunoichi looked up from the weapon she was holding, a katana that failed to glisten under the afternoon sun, half-rusty from disuse. Shikamaru never thought he'd see the day when Tenten would allow one of her precious swords to rust, but a lot has changed ever since the last war ended, and Tenten was not exempted from it.

"Oh, hey, Shikamaru."

Case in point. The Nara could not even remember the last time Tenten had called him "pineapple head." He guessed he missed it, although it was such a stupid nickname to begin with.

"What brings you all the way out here?"

Shikamaru glanced once more at the defective weapon, wondering why Tenten would allow it to get broken like that.

"Oh," the weapons mistress exclaimed, following Shikamaru's line of vision. "This is Neji's," she said by way of explanation, as if she was merely talking about the weather. "Hinata found it yesterday, while looking for something in their compound's stock room." She flashed the genius a grin that did not quite reach her eyes. The fire that burned in them quietly, fiercely, over the years had died, the same day Hyuuga Neji did.

"Who would have thought, right? I thought this got lost during the war. One of the clansmen must have picked it up and randomly stored it, not even bothering to check whom it belongs to."

If Shikamaru noticed that Tenten was now rambling, he said nothing of it. Besides, it had been far too long since he heard her talk so freely. "I'm just glad Hinata found it by accident," the kunoichi continued, caressing the dull blade the way she would a long lost friend—or love, maybe. "This was my gift to him. For making it to jounin."

There was a sudden hitch in her voice, and then she was clutching her chest once more, the same way she did the day Shikamaru found her in front of Neji's grave. Two years passed and she was still not over the Hyuuga, and Shikamaru realized that Tenten probably never will.

"So, what brought you here?"

Shikamaru sighed, no longer sure how he was going to approach the topic. Because was there really a point to any of this? Just that morning he has decided that he was going to talk to Tenten, to try once again—or for the first time, probably—to tell how he felt for her, how it never really faded away, not even when he had tried with Temari for almost a year, and then with Shiho for a few months, and then with a string of other girls, until he finally lost count.

But now, listening to her, the doubts began to flood in, because he was a genius, and he could predict two hundred different outcomes to a single scenario, and every outcome he could think of leads to only one thing—his heart getting broken.

Then again, Shikamaru was years older, and maybe that equated to emotional maturity after all. And although he usually found confrontations—or confessions—troublesome, perhaps, just perhaps, he was going to try this, at least once—and then another, and another, if the first and second tries fail.

And as his hand reached out gently, hesitantly, toward Tenten, unsure if she would return the gesture, his resolve only grew all the more.

_I'm here. I'm ready. I will shelter you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for joining me in this journey. May we all have a happy and hope-filled new year ^_^

**Author's Note:**

> NejiTen will always be my OTP, but I really enjoy ShikaTen, too.
> 
> Click [here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0YGeUOx5BXOWiyfzl4NbQX?si=it2sKh5VQ6OlYRpGjzzBZQ) for the playlist!
> 
> Visit [KP's Corner](https://twitter.com/thelittlebugi/) for more of my plot bunnies and drabbles.


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